Surrender (17 page)

give me a disgust with the whole notion

of adventuring, haven't you? Don't think

I can't see right through your plan. You've

been hoping that such revolting incidents

as that business of witnessing those young

men drinking until they became ill and

viewing that boxing match at Vauxhall will

put me off the entire scheme," Victoria

accused.

 
I was only trying to show you what you

were getting into without putting you at

undue risk in the process. You know you

did not care for all the blood at the boxing

match."

 
Ah-hah, I knew it. You are trying to

fob me off with mild adventures. Well, it

won't work," Victoria declared." I demand

that you live up to your part of this

bargain. Tomorrow night I insist we go to

a brothel or a gaming hell." She brightened,

considering the prospect." I think I should

prefer the latter. Yes, let us go to a real

gaming hell."

 
You won't like it, Vicky."

 
That is for me to judge. Now, do we

have an agreement or must I find someone

else to take me?"

Lucas smiled and inclined his head to

yet another curious middle-aged woman

passing in a carriage. Outwardly, he was

the picture of polite gallantry, but his

voice, when he responded to Victoria's

threat, was suddenly ice cold.

 
Do not issue an ultimatum you cannot

possibly carry out, Vicky."

Victoria was learning that when he used

that particular tone, it was best to back

off and find another path to her goal. It

irked her that the man tended to turn

utterly implacable when she pushed too

hard, but he did have a point. Where was

she going to find another companion who

would show her the night?

There was, too, another aspect to the

situation. She was becoming increasingly

enthralled by the farewell kisses Lucas gave

her before he departed from her garden

after an adventure. There had been two

 
more such embraces since the night they

had gone to the fair and Victoria was

already anticipating the next occasion when

he would take her in his arms.

 
Lucas, you seem to be overlooking the

fact that I am in charge of this adventuring

project. Must I remind you that I am the

one who makes the decisions? Now, as to

our next venture
 
. Oh damn." Victoria

broke off with a somewhat forced smile

as a familiar couple in a curricle pulled

abreast of her horse. She looked across

into Isabel Rycott's amused eyes.

Isabel glittered like the small, perfect

jewel she was in a rich shade of ruby.

Seated next to her, holding the reins, was

her current escort, Richard Edgeworth.

Victoria had been introduced to him the

previous evening and had not been much

impressed. In fact, she wondered what

Isabel, who could have her pick of men,

saw in him.

On the surface there was certainly

nothing wrong with the man. Edgeworth

was fair-haired and handsome by most

standards. He was in his early thirties,

but Victoria did not think his looks

would last into his forties. There was

an unpleasant hint of sullen discontent in

his eyes, as if Edgeworth had always felt

himself victimized by life. There was, too,

a curiously weak, dissolute quality about

his mouth that implied a certain lack of

inner strength.

Victoria wondered briefly if she was

being too hard on the man. She was,

after all, starting to use Lucas as her

standard of comparison.

 
Good afternoon, Vicky, dear," Isabel

said." So nice to see you again."

 
Your servant, Miss Huntington," Edge

worth murmured. His gaze slid toward

Lucas and away again." stone vale."

Edgeworth."

Sensing the coldness between the two

men, Victoria glanced at Lucas's enigmatic

face but could read nothing of his thoughts.

She turned quickly back to Isabel Rycott.

 
What a stunning hat. Lady Rycott. You

must give me the name of your milliner."

 
I will be happy to do so. She has a

shop in Oxford Street. Perhaps we'll have a

moment to chat tonight at Lady Atherton's

small party?"

 
I'm afraid I won't be there," Victoria

said, remembering that she had declined

the invitation earlier in the week. She

wondered if Lucas had accepted," I have

other plans. Perhaps another time."

 
Perhaps." Lady Rycott shot Lucas a

mysterious smile and signaled to her

companion that she wished to move on

down the path. To this, Edgeworth gave

the reins a small snap, his fine gray gloves

giving the gesture an elegant touch.

 
You don't care for Lady Rycott, do

you?" Lucas observed casually as their

carriage moved out of hearing range.

 
And I got the impression you're not

a particular friend of Mister Edge worth's,"

Victoria said.

 
A small matter of a gaming debt, I'm

afraid."

Victoria slid him a sidelong glance." You

played cards with him?"

Only once. The man cheats."

Victoria was horrified." Edgeworth is a

cheat? How astonishing. Why is he still

allowed to play in the clubs?"

Lucas watched the carriage roll out of

sight behind a crop of trees." Because he's

never been caught. He is quite good at

it."

 
What happened the night you played

with him?" Victoria asked, her interest

piqued.

Lucas grinned briefly." Halfway through

the game, after losing rather heavily, I

somehow managed to drop the entire deck

of cards on the floor. Naturally a new pack

had to be fetched immediately."

 
An unmarked deck. How very clever

of you." Victoria was delighted." And

Edgeworth started losing?"

 
Yes. Heavily."

 
Excellent. You see, Lucas, that is just

the sort of excitement I wish to witness

firsthand."

 
There wasn't much to see. A few cards

on the floor. A few glares from Edgeworth.

Me mentally on my knees thanking the

powers that be that I'd figured out what

the devil was going on before I played too

deep."

 
There you go, trying to discourage me

from exactly the sort of adventure I am

anxious to experience." She frowned." Was

that card game the only time you and

Edgeworth have encountered each other?"

 
What makes you ask that?"

 
I don't know. Something about the way

the two of you reacted to each other a

moment ago. I almost had the impression

you had known each other for some time.

Never mind. To get back to my original

subject"

 
Why don't you like Isabel Rycott?"

Victoria's jaw tightened." Is it that

obvious?"

Lucas nodded to another couple on the

path." Only to someone who knows you

well. And I am getting to know you very

well, my dear."

 
I have no real reason to dislike her.

She was introduced to me a few weeks

ago and immediately claimed a past

acquaintanceship with my mother and

stepfather," Victoria explained cautiously.

 
Your stepfather was a man named

Samuel Whitlock?"

 
Yes."

 
You have never spoken much of your

family, other than your aunt Cleo," Lucas

pointed out.

 
It is not a subject I care to discuss.

How did you know my stepfather's name,

Lucas?"

 
I believe Jessica Atherton mentioned

it.

 
Yes, of course." Her voice turned brittle.

 
Now what's amiss?" Lucas asked gently.

 
Nothing."

 
Vicky, I'm your friend, remember? One

of these days I intend to be your lover.

You can talk to me."

She looked around sharply, aware of the

heat rising in her cheeks.
 
Really, Lucas,

what a thing to say in public. And neither

of us is at all certain about the course of

our future relationship. Kindly do not go

about presuming too much."

 
You don't like the idea that I discussed

you with Lady Atherton, do you?"

 
No, I do not."

 
You don't much care for her, either?"

Lucas asked.

 
I do not dislike Jessica Atherton. I have

explained once before that she and I do not

have a lot in common, but I have nothing

against her. Who can have anything against

a paragon?" Victoria paused.
 
How long

have you known her, Lucas?"

 
Jessica Atherton? Several years. I was

acquainted with her before her marriage

to Atherton."

There was more to it than that, Victoria

decided, listening to the clipped note in his

words. She did not know how to ask for

further details, however, so she changed

the subject.

 
I
 
cannot
 
imagine
  
what
 
Lady
  
Rycott

sees in Edgeworth," Victoria observed.
 
She

probably does not know about his card

playing habits."

 
Probably not."

 
It is certainly convenient being a widow,

is it not?" Victoria mused.

That got Lucas's attention.
 
What the

devil are you on about now?"

 
Do you realize that as a widow in

command of her own financial affairs. Lady

Rycott has considerably more freedom to

go about with an escort of her choice than

I do?"

 
I had not given the matter much

thought," Lucas muttered repressively.

 
I have. Considerable thought. As a

woman who has never been married, I